Pecan Valley Pecans

2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 pinch salt (optional)
3 tablespoons sugar
½ pound (2 sticks) cold, unsalted butter; cut into pieces
4 tablespoons ice water
2 large egg yolks; beaten

1. Combine flour, salt (if desired), and sugar in a medium bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal.
2. Beat together water and egg yolks, and drizzle into flour-butter mixture while stirring with a fork. As soon as pastry starts to hold together, stop adding liquid. Shape dough into a flat round, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 1 hour or overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
4. Remove dough from refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, roll out to ⅛ inch thick. Press pastry into bottom and sides of tart pan. Run a rolling pin across top to trim. (Scraps can be wrapped in plastic and frozen for later use.) Carefully line pastry with aluminum foil, and weight with beans, rice or pastry weights.
5. Bake in a preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes. When pastry begins to color around the edges, remove weights and foil and continue to bake until pastry turns amber, 10 to 12 more minutes.
6. Place pan on a wire rack and let cool completely before filling.

Makes 1 12-inch tart

3 cups pastry flour
1 cup unsalted butter; very cold, cut into ½-inch pieces
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 dash sea salt
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon whipping cream, very cold
½ cup granulated sugar
⅔ cups whipping cream; room temperature
2 tablespoons unsalted butter; room temperature
1½ cups light corn syrup
¾ cups granulated sugar
¾ cups light brown sugar; firmly packed
4 eggs
2 egg yolks
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1½ cups Pecan Valley Pecan Halves

1. To make tart shells place flour, cold butter, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar and salt in food processor. Process, using quick on and off motion, until mixture resembles coarse meal.
2. Combine 2 egg yolks and 1 tablespoon cream in small bowl. With motor running, add egg mixture to flour mixture. Process just until dough begins to form.
3. Add enough remaining cream to form dough that holds together. Scrape dough onto piece of foil. Wrap airtight and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 1 hour. Divide dough into 6 or 8 equal portions, depending on whether pan size is 3 or 4 inches. Roll each portion out onto lightly floured pastry cloth. Carefully transfer pastry to tart pans. Press against bottoms and sides of pans, and then trim excess around rims. If pastry tears, patch with small bits of pastry trimmings. Reserve any remaining pastry, wrapped airtight, for another use. Refrigerate pastry-lined tart pans until ready to use.
4. To make sauce, heat ½ cup granulated sugar in small, heavy skillet or saucepan over medium heat until melted and medium amber in color.
5. Carefully pour in ⅔ cups cream all at once, being careful to avoid splatters. Stir in 2 tablespoons butter. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until caramel dissolves and sauce is smooth. Remove from heat. Store at room temperature if not using immediately, as sauce will harden if refrigerated.
6. To make filling, combine corn syrup, ¾ cups each granulated sugar and brown sugar, 4 eggs and 2 egg yolks in medium bowl. Stir until blended.
7. Heat 3 tablespoons butter in small skillet over medium heat until butter is foamy and light brown in color. Remove from heat and whisk into corn syrup mixture.
8. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
9. To assemble tarts, set pastry-lined tart pans on large baking sheet. Divide pecans among tart pans and pour filling over them or pour in filling and arrange pecans on top in symmetrical pattern.
10. Bake in a preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool. Serve tarts at room temperature topped with caramel sauce.

Makes 6 to 8 tarts